A computer network, in general, allows two or more devices interconnected by communication links and subnetworks to exchange information and/or share resources. The devices may serve as endpoint devices where data is typically originated or terminated in the computer network, or serve as intermediate devices where data is typically routed to other devices (e.g., other intermediate devices, endpoint devices, etc.) and/or subnetworks in the computer network. Examples of intermediate devices include routers, bridges and switches that interconnect communication links and subnetworks, whereas an endpoint device may be a computer located on one of the subnetworks.
Devices in the computer network (e.g., endpoint devices, intermediate devices, etc.), in general, communicate by exchanging discrete packets or frames of data, according to predefined protocols. In this context, a protocol represents a set of rules defining how the stations interact with each other to transfer data. The traffic flowing into a network device—e.g., a router, switch, bridge, server, and the like—is generally made up of multiple abstraction layers (e.g., the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model). A frame, for example, is a logical grouping of information sent as a data link layer over a transmission medium. Frames typically include header and/or trailer information used for routing, synchronization, and error control. The header and/or trailer information surrounds user data contained in the unit. The terms datagram, packet, and segment are also used to describe logical information groupings at various layers of the OSI reference model and in various technology circles.
To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements disclosed in one embodiment may be beneficially utilized on other embodiments without specific recitation.